Railway grade crossing construction



Nov. 6, 1934.j R. T. BELL RAILWAY GRADE CROSSING CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan.19. 1931 INVENTOR.

BY Raymond TBC-IZ A TTORNEY.

l I I l l t I I l l Il Patented Nov. 6, 1934 PATENT OFFCE RAILWAY GRADECROSSING CGNSTRUCTIGN Raymond T. Bell, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to A.O. Smith Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of New YorkApplication January 19, 1931, Serial No. 509,757

3 Claims.

This invention relates to railway grade crossing construction andconstitutes an improvement over the construction shown in my co-pendingapplication, Serial No. 452,335, filed May 14, 1930. Among the objectsof the present invention is to provide a railway grade crossing which ismore economic of manufacture and installation and which is more durablein service and simpler of construction.

Referring to the drawing wherein is illustrated a preferred embodimentof the invention:

Figure 1 is a cross section of a railway grade crossing made accordingto the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the combined tie plate andspacing members; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view, partly in section, of the crossingshowing the manner in which the crossing elements and flange channelsare secured to the spacing members.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the reference character10 indicates parallel rails of a railroad track, which rails are securedto cross ties 11 in any suitable manner. Secured to the cross ties 11 bymeans of spikes 12 are combined tie plate and spacing members 13. Thespacing members 13 are made of sheet metal in the form of channelshaving upper web portions 14 and side walls l5, said side walls havingtheir lower edge portions bent inwardly toward each other in a planeparallel to the upper web 14 forming anges 16 to provide substantialbearing surface for the spacing members, and also to serve as means forsecuring the same in position. In securing the spacing members to thecross ties, the spikes 12 are passed through aligned holes 17 and 18 inthe web portion 14 and bearing anges 16, respectively, and driven intothe cross ties 11. This manner of securing the spacing members to theties by passing the spikes through apertures in the flanges 16 preventsspreading of the side walls of the spacing members, which mightotherwise occur during the passage of heavy loads over the crossing.

Adjacent the rails 10 the spacing members have their end portions cutaway as at 19 so as to allow the end portions to overhang the lowerflange of the rails and terminate closely adjacent the rails. In cuttingout the portion 19 depending legs 20 are allowed to remain to providemeans for supporting the overhanging end of the spacing member duringpassage of heavy loads over the crossing, the legs 20 being adapt- (Cl.23S-8) n ed to rest on the lower iiange of the rail 10 when thespacingmember is in adjusted position.

The upper web of the spacing members is provided with ears 21 which arestruck up from the spacing member to provide means for securing crossingelements 22 thereto. The crossing elements 22 have inturned bearingiianges 23 which are adapted to underlie the struck up ears 21 of thespacing members to secure the crossing members 22 in adjusted position.

The bearing anges 23 of the crossing elements have cut out portions 24at spaced intervals corresponding to the distance between adjacentspacing members. These cut out portions are adapted to expedite theinstallation of the crossing elements. This is accomplished by rstpositioning a crossing element with respect to the several spacingelements so that the struck up ears of the latter register with the cutout portions in the flanges of the crossing members so that the lattermay rest upon the spacing members, and then driving the crossing memberlongitudinally to cause the cut out portions to move out of registrywith the ears, which latter then function to hold the crossing elementsin place. The ends of the ears are inclining slightly upwardly, as shownat 25, to insure engaging coaction between the spacing members and thecrossing elements during installation of the latter.

Adjacent the inner sides of the rails 10 are sheet metal flange channels26 which are adapted to accommodate the iianges of car wheels when atrain is passing over the crossing. The upper web of the flange channelsis made concave so that dirt and other material which may have collectedor become lodged adjacent the rails may be expelled by the pressureexerted by the flanges of car wheels thus providing a self cleaning angechannel. The flange channels 26 `95 have the edge portions of their sidewalls inturned as at 27 in a manner similar to the crossing elements inorder that the same may be readily secured to the combined spacer andtie plate 13 and also to provide substantial bearing surface for thechannel. The inturned portions 27 of the flange channels have cut outportions 28 similar to the cut out portions 24 of the crossing elementsand also serve as a means for expeditious installation, which isaccomplished in the same manner as described in connection with thecrossing elements.

In cases where the rails have been connected up with a block signalsystem, insulation 29 is provided in the crossing to prevent the passageof current from one rail to the other when no car is passing over thecrossing. This insulation is provided at two or more places in order toprevent closing of the circuit in case of the passage of a steel tiredvehicle over the crossing and extends from the top of the cross ties toa point substantially `flush with the top of the crossing elements.

Ainxed to the outside spacing member 13 at each end of the crossing andto a cross tie which is longitudinally adjacent the crossing is a sheetmetal ramp 30. This ramp is made in sections, the adjacent sectionsbeing insulated from .each other or spaced apart a distance sufficientto prevent the passage of current therebetween. The purpose of theseramps at the-ends of thecrossing members is to prevent the catching ofloose brake rods or other depending memberswhich may be hanging loose onrailway cars during passage thereof over the crossing. Each-section ofthe ramp is provided with a downwardly extending end wall lfandtheseveral sectionshave their end walls 3l secured to cross member 32 ofwood. The cross member 32 may be omite ted if desired. The end walls 3lare provided with lugs 33 bent at an angle of substantially 90 thereto,which lugs are adapted to 'be inserted underthe ears 21 of the endspacing members `1`3 to prevent upward movement of the ramp.

`With the lugs `33 so positioned the lower end of the ramp is securedtoa closely'adjacent cross tie, as shown, thus providing a ramp whichmay `be quickly and expeditiously installed.

The spacer element 13 of the present construction takes theplace of thewood Spacing element or shims and the metal tie plates described'in myformer application, and has been found to be ,more economic ofmanufacture and installation and also more durable in use.

Although the foregoing description'is of a vdetailed character in orderto completely set forth the invention, it is to be understood that thespecic terminology is not intended tobe restrictive .or conning and itis to be further understood claimed and desired to be secured by LettersPatent is:

1. In a railway grade crossing having rails and ties supporting saidrails, crossing elements of less depth than the depth of said rails,sheet rnetal spacing members for supporting said crossing elements abovesaid ties to maintain the upper surface of said crossing elementsSubstantially ,flush .with the top of said rails, each of said membershaving an upper web and downwardly 'extending side walls, the lower edgeportions of saidside walls being bent inwardly toward each other into acommon plane to provide bearing surfaces for supporting the spacingmembers, the

`upperweb rof the spacing members and the inwardly bent 4lower edgeportions thereof being provided With vertically aligned apertures, and

form bearing flanges, and vertically aligned ap`;

ertures in said web and said flanges for the passage therethrough ofsecuring spikes.

3. In a railway grade crossing having rails and ties supporting saidrails, crossing elements of less depth than the depth of said rails, andeX- tending parallel thereto, sheet metal self-cleaning frange channelsconstituting foot-guards disposed adjacent the inner sides of said railsand extending parallel thereto with a part thereof underlying the headof the rail,.and sheet metal spacing members arranged normal to therailsfor supporting said flange channels and crossing elements abovesaid ties to maintain the upper surface of said crossing elementssubstantially iiush with the top of therails, the ends of said spacingmembers abutting the rails being modied to present an upper supportingsurface which extends to the webof the rail `to form a support for thesaid flange channels, and means integral with said spacing members forsecuring said ange. channels rand vcrossing elements in correlatedjuxtaposition. l

RAYMOND T. BELL.

